Just before the white-ball series against West Indies in February this year, India’s newly-appointed captain Rohit Sharma pointed out the team management hasn’t been able to find a suitable replacement for the finisher’s role after MS Dhoni retired from the limited-overs format.
If the national selectors are following IPL 2022 performances and do genuinely consider them for selection of the Indian cricket team for the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia later this year, then they will not be able to ignore Dinesh Karthik's form.
The selectors didn't. On Sunday, Karthik made a comeback to India's limited-overs side after a gap of nearly three years as the right-hander was named in the T20 squad for the five-match series against South Africa at home.
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Karthik, the seasoned wicketkeeper-batter has been a bright spot for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2022 and his performance is being watched by Rohit Sharma and ex-captain Virat Kohli.
Dinesh Karthik, who has been playing the role of a finisher for RCB, has the highest strike rate among the leading run-getters in IPL 2022, scoring 287 runs so far in 14 innings at 132.55.
After lean seasons with Kolkata Knight Riders, where he lost his captaincy to Eoin Morgan, DK certainly has come back with a vengeance and with bigger goals.
People who thought Dinesh Karthik has reconciled to the fact that a lucrative job as a TV commentator is better than the heat and dust of professional cricket, have been proved wrong.
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“I must admit that I have a bigger goal. I have been working really hard. My aim is to do something special for the country. This is part of my journey. I have been trying everything to be a part of the Indian team,” Karthik had said, after his blistering 34-ball 66 paved RCB's 16-run win over Delhi Capitals.
“I know there is a (T20) World Cup round the corner I want to be a part of the World Cup desperately and help India cross the line. It has been a long time since India have won a multi-nation tournament and I want to be that person who is helping India do that,” added Dinesh Karthik.
The role of a finisher is as important as any other role in modern-day cricket and India have struggled to get someone on a consistent basis after MS Dhoni retired.
India do have a couple of options in Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja but injuries to both the all-rounders in the recent past have necessitated other options.
Karthik has been in the form of his life but what caught the eye was his ability to play an array of strokes with authority. Virat Kohli says his RCB teammate has made a strong case for another India comeback.
“I am very happy that DK is so clear in his goals. I can surely tell you that you have presented a very strong case for yourself moving forward playing T20 cricket not just for RCB but also, I am sure lot of people are taking notice at the highest level as well,” said Kohli.
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RCB skipper Faf du Plessis has been full of praise for Karthik, too.
“The way DK is playing at the moment, I may sound like a broken record, but he is playing the best he has ever. He is so clear, calm and composed,” du Plessis said.
Karthik last played for India in the ODI World Cup in 2019. The 36-year-old is used to making comebacks ever since making his debut in 2004. He has played 36 Tests, 94 ODIs and 32 T20 Internationals.
With the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year and the ODI World Cup next year at home looming, Karthik might be the perfect candidate for the finisher’s role.
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Whether there will be room for him as a finisher in the national team remains to be seen, but what matters for Karthik at this moment is to maintain his consistency in the ongoing tournament and contribute to RCB’s quest for their maiden IPL title.
